Freedom
by HalfSun
Summary: All her life, Featherpaw has been scorned for being blind. Hated. Mistreated. How will she ever get out of this nightmare? One-shot. Fourth challenge for Cloudclan.


Freedom

"Hello, _Blind_paw!"

I growl. "Shut up, Graypaw, or I'm telling Sparrowwing."

"Ooh, so _Blindpaw _needs help from mommy, does she?"

I hiss at my brother. "It's Featherpaw, as you well know, Graypaw."

Graypaw stalks over to me. I can't see him but I can just imagine the arrogant smirk on his ugly face. "You'll always be Blindpaw to me. You don't deserve to be a warrior. Not even an apprentice. Or even being born. You're ugly and useless, just another mouth for Riverclan to feed."

Ouch. That really hurt. I guess I should be used to it by now, though. I am just about to respond when Frostleaf calls me over to join a patrol. That's good. It'll be a break from Graypaw. Well, it would've been if she hadn't asked Graypaw to join too.

"Of course, Frostleaf," Graypaw replies in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I want everycat to hunt in pairs," Frostleaf says as soon we're at the lake.

"Featherpaw will be my partner!" says Graypaw immediately. I groan.

"Alright, _Blindpaw, _I've got to prove to the clan that I'm a great hunter, so don't mess it up," snarls Graypaw as soon we're away from the others.

I simply dip my head in response and walk away. I can't really catch fish, since I can't see the water, but land prey I can manage. Scenting a water vole, I drop into a hunting crouch. I pull myself forward, and then my paw reaches out, snatching frantically for the vole.

I miss.

"Frog guts!" I snarl.

"Hey Blindpaw, catch anything yet?"

"It's Featherpaw."

"No, it's Blindpaw."

I hiss at him and walk away, feeling ashamed. Why couldn't I have caught that vole? It would've shown everyone that even blind cats can be great hunters.

I decide that from now on, I'm going to do some extra training.

That night, I wait until everyone in the apprentice's den is asleep. Making sure that I don't step on anycat's tail except Graypaw's, I sneak silently out of the den. When I'm out, I listen carefully for a guard. I groan. A friendly face like Frostleaf or Barkfur would be okay, but the guard is Flintclaw. He's always been on Graypaw's side, and when he's not around the leader, Rainstar, he calls me Blindpaw.

"Stupid Flintclaw," I mutter. I go to the dirtplace and sneak out there. Once I'm out, I let out a sigh of relief. Flintclaw didn't notice me.

Alright. I decide to work on hunting first, since I messed that up yesterday. I like voles, but since I can't hear any, I sigh and drag myself to the lake.

I wait by the waterside, hesitant about what I'm about to do. I take a deep breath, and jump in.

The water is cold and bites at my fur. I let out a spluttering cough and lash out with my paws, hoping to catch some fish. Not a chance. They've all been scared away by my disruption of the peaceful night.

I try paddling and eventually make my way to shore, cold, wet, and exhausted. But I'm not going back to camp. Not yet. I still have to work on battle training.

I remember the day that I was battle training with Graypaw. I was actually beating him, driving him back with with a frenzy of blows, when he snuck under me and yanked my feet off the ground. I'd landed on the ground in an ungraceful heap. I was determined not to let that happen again.

Starting in a crouch, I narrow my blind eyes, then leap forward, slashing at anything. With each blow, I imagine that it's Graypaw in front of me, that I'm slicing the cat that I so desperately hate into pieces.

_Wham!_ I don't know what Graypaw looks like, but I picture him as an ugly, mean, dark gray tom as I land blow after blow onto a tree.

_Slash!_ My claws rake across an imaginary Graypaw's face.

_Thump! _In my mind, Graypaw has fallen to the floor. Finally, I have beaten him.

Feeling tired yet exhilarated, I make my way back to camp and go back into the apprentice's den.

I wasn't always blind. I became that way shortly after my apprenticeship, when a fox had attacked, slicing at my eyes. Several days later, I couldn't see.

But in my dreams, everything came to life. I still remembered all the colors, the light sparkling on dew, a rainbow over the crystal lake. I lost all that, plus a friend. Graypaw had changed after my blindness, and not just in his looks. He scorned me after that, criticizing everything I did. The only good thing that had come out of the fox attack was that Graypaw had been scarred too, and deformed. They say he looked like a cat from the dead.

Sometimes I wish he was actually dead.

But he's not, so I have to put up with his constant criticism, hateful words, and bullying.

When I wake up each day, I feel refreshed, because Graypaw is never in my dreams. My dreams are filled with sunshine and flowers. But as soon as I'm in the camp, Graypaw starts teasing me.

But that doesn't matter now. _He_ doesn't matter now.

All that matters is becoming a warrior.

(Several moons later)

"Featherheart! Grayclaw! Featherheart! Grayclaw!"

I purr as I take in my clanmates' cheers. I feel happy, for the first time in moons. No mean remarks about my blindness. No harsh words. Just praise.

Right now, I am free.


End file.
